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SCHOOL MEALS AND LEARNING RECOVERY FACE FUNDING GAPS
School meals and tutoring face funding gaps in the proposed 2027 national budget. At the September 7 House budget hearing, lawmakers examined reductions affecting school feeding and the absence of a dedicated allocation for ARAL, the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning program.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the proposed feeding allocation of about ₱11 billion, compared with about ₱26 billion under the 2026 budget, would support 120 feeding days instead of 180. Kindergarten coverage would remain, but the department could not provide universal coverage for Grade 1 at that funding level.
Angara's comparison describes a 60-day reduction in the feeding cycle if those funding levels remain. For parents, the question is which children will be covered and how regularly the school can serve them. These changes concern next year's proposed budget; they do not announce an immediate halt to this year's meals.
EDCOM II also reported that DepEd is seeking ₱15.98 billion for ARAL, including tutor honoraria, training and learning materials. The lack of a dedicated allocation does not abolish the program. Funding it from elsewhere would require taking money from other needs.
WHAT TO WATCH
The House committee asked DepEd to prioritize the programs needing additional funds. Watch which feeding and ARAL amounts survive congressional deliberations, because a request to restore money is still different from an approved appropriation that schools can plan around.
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